You read a lot these days about how depressed the average person is about the labor market, or that the average person can take up to 17 weeks to find a new job.

But where is it written that YOU have to be average? When did Congress pass that law?

Good news: You don’t have to be average. Thankfully, this is one area that the politicians haven’t decided to “help” us with (yet).

Instead, you can get radically better results in your job search -- starting today -- by doing two simple things differently.

Here’s how…

1) Think Differently

Let’s face it: Most of the news you read, hear or see on TV is bad.

And most of it has little to do with your life, if you think about it. For example, what can you do with the “news” that a car bomb has exploded in Iraq or that a house was gutted by fire on the other side of town? Nothing. Not one thing.

You could let all that bad news get you down, like most people do. Or you could tune it out. You could think differently.

Here’s why.

No matter what the news -- good or bad -- every company wants to increase revenues and profits. And every company wants to control costs and save money.

If you can get in front of the right employer and show him or her that you can either make or save more money than you’re asking for in salary, that employer will either hire you for an existing job or create a job for you.

Read that last paragraph again. It holds the key to every successful job search!

And, to repeat, it doesn’t matter what the economy is doing, or how much the talking heads on TV are bemoaning layoffs, outsourcing, off-shoring, or any other economic “news.” All that counts is your ability to do exactly four things:

1. choose a specific job you want to do;
   
2. choose a company you want to work for;
   
3. meet with a hiring authority at your target company;
   
4. demonstrate exactly how much money you can make or save for them.

It all starts when you refuse to go along with the crowd and let outside events influence your inner attitude. In fact, you may just start to laugh at bad economic news, because it can cause other people to stop looking for jobs, leaving less competition for you.

2) Act Differently

Once you start thinking differently and more opportunistically, it’s easy to start acting differently and more effectively.

Here’s how one California man did just one thing differently in his job search -- and how it made the phone ring with interview offers for the first time in months …

First, some background.

I’ve written before that you can pique employers’ curiosity by writing them a letter in which you offer to send them a report to help improve their business.

It need be no more than 2-3 pages, describing the best, most valuable things you've done on the job, and their specific value. (Google my article, “Can You Write a Simple Report? You Can Get Hired” to learn more.)

One reader, Michael Schwab from Los Angeles, California, not only read that advice, he acted on it. And he struck pay dirt.

Michael was smart. He took the time to ask his network of contacts about the target company and learned enough about their products to tailor a letter that got attention.

He says: “I wrote a letter yesterday offering to send a report and got an email from the recruiter an hour later -- they want to interview me. In my original email, I proposed two options: (1) helping with their existing product areas, and (2) helping build out a new area of practice involving different software products.”

So, next time, instead of sending a resume, why not try something different? Write a letter offering specific ways to improve your target employer’s business. Because, while few employers get up in the morning wanting to get a resume in the mail, every employer wants to increase profits. All you have to do is show them how.

When you offer solutions instead of a resume, you’re not acting like a typical job seeker. You’re acting like a star employee. And you’ll have little or no competition for your next job when you do.

It all starts when you think and act a little bit differently.